Can I Use More Than One Battery Pack in a Qolsys IQ Panel?

No, you cannot use more than one battery pack in a Qolsys IQ Panel. The system only has one battery connection port available. There is no way to connect a second backup battery and have it maintain a charge. Fortunately, most end users will get by just fine with one backup battery.

The backup battery is a very important component of an alarm system. This equipment ensures that your system will stay running when the power goes out. Normally, the system will be running on AC power. The backup battery will be working in the background during this time to slowly store a charge. If the electricity goes out or the transformer is unplugged, then the system will automatically switch over to its backup power.

Keeping an alarm system running at all times is extremely important. Your IQ Panel must be running for your alarm monitoring service to work properly. If your system is powered down, then it cannot send out signals. If the panel is unable to send out signals, then it will be impossible to receive any emergency dispatch. You will also be unable to receive notifications from Alarm.com.

Since keeping the system powered on at all times is crucial, some users might think that installing a second backup battery would be a good option. And if a user ever experiences extended power outages, then it certainly would. The problem is that the system is unable of supporting a second backup battery. There is only one battery connector port, which is seen in the picture below:

Keeping a second battery on hand to swap out if the first one runs out of power also serves little purpose. The battery needs to be connected with the system while it is running on AC power to maintain a charge. If you just left the battery hanging loose somewhere, then it would have no charge to provide for the system. For that reason, the only backup battery you can feasibly use is the one currently connected inside the panel.

After about five years of use, the backup battery will lose its ability to store a charge. It will then need to be replaced with a new one. This can be easily accomplished by powering the system down, opening up the panel, removing the old battery and inserting the new one. You can then close the panel and power the system back on.

If you live in an area where extended power outages may occur, then you may want to invest in a power generator to keep the system running. The backup battery is capable of keeping the system running for up to 24 hours at a time. Once it loses both AC power and battery power, it will shutdown entirely.